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Computer security experts are bracing for possible cyberattacks on American networks next month by Chinese hackers. Security experts at iDefense in Chantilly, Virginia, said that the attacks are likely to coincide with significant Chinese dates and anniversaries.

"May the first is Labor Day for China. May the Fourth is Youth Day for China, and May the Eighth is the anniversary of the accidental US bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade," said Michael Cheek of iDefense.

May Fifth is also the birthday of the founder of China's leading hacker group, the 200-member China Eagle Union. In video obtained by iDefense, one China Eagle member dresses as a military commando, and members meet to discuss how to hack Windows 2000.

The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that a classified CIA report makes it clear that the CIA believes the Chinese military is researching ways to attack American computer and infrastructure systems.

Relations between the US and China were strained last year after the collision of a US Navy EP-3 surveillance plane and a Chinese F-8 jet, whose pilot was killed. That incident led to a cyberbattle between Chinese and American hackers. Last spring, Chinese hackers defaced nearly 1,000 US websites. They also launched at least one computer worm and were believed to be behind denial-of-service attacks on some government websites, including the White House site.

The defacements replaced American webpages with nationalistic Chinese pages. One website read "all Chinese must be united and battle for the honor of our homeland," while another used strong expletives attacking the United States.